Midtown Mall needs support

Thursday

Oct 24, 2013 at 6:00 AMOct 24, 2013 at 6:18 AM

The Midtown Mall is getting picked on, and for some good reasons. But if city leaders want to inspire longtime owner Dean Marcus to bring the mall more in line with other upgrades happening downtown, it won't help to call him a "slumlord" at a City Council meeting, or murmur about eminent domain.

To many, the Midtown Mall evokes images of grime, loitering, and disrepair, offputting to pedestrians and shoppers alike.

Certainly, everyone laments the illegal activities that have occurred at the mall, as detailed in police reports. Such activities are all the worse for occurring right across from City Hall, and in a downtown where planners have tried so hard to promote safety and cleanliness, with places of interest for all.

But it is also true that the building is owned by a tax-paying, private citizen, has numerous small businesses and immigrant entrepreneurs, and has patrons.

The city's interest in the Midtown Mall is driven by its location — in a downtown undergoing rebirth — but any redevelopment must strike a balance, retaining nooks and quirks that balance larger employers, businesses, and institutions.

The Downtown Worcester Theatre District Master Plan report, produced last year, can serve as a starting point for a more productive discussion.

That plan proposes building on the mall's architectural assets as an indoor pedestrian passageway. Indeed, in its heyday, the mall held great appeal for downtown shoppers.

The report suggests redeveloping the mall into a "creative economy incubator," with street-level vendors, and upstairs offices and studios. It says the fašades on Front and Mechanic streets would need significant attention, and calls for layout alterations and improved signage.

Getting to that stage will require cooperation and good will from both city leaders and Mr. Marcus.

Officials should lower their rhetoric, and recognize that the Midtown Mall need not be merely an obstacle, but can become an opportunity.

Meanwhile, it is incumbent upon Mr. Marcus to tend to legitimate public safety concerns and needed property upkeep.

By working together, in a spirit of mutual respect, city and owner can help the Midtown Mall join in the dreaming for a better downtown Worcester.